Tutela: The Guardian
by Lucivar
Summary: Everyone is growing anxious as seventh year progresses; including Severus Snape. But what happens when the one woman who can help save them all is caught in between fighting for good or fighting for evil. Warning: sex in later chapters. Not descriptive.
1. Chapter One

1Chapter One:

Harry and Hermione walked down to the dungeons dreading the double potions class that was ahead of them. The day before Neville had managed to blow up three cauldrons somehow and now the entire Gryffindor and Slytherin N.E.W.T. level class had to come back after dinner to make up the assignment. It was a surprise that Neville had made it into the 7th year potions class, but Hermione insisted that he just studied really hard and deserved his grade; most people just thought that he had discovered a spell that would allow him to cheat, even with the anti-cheating protection.

Harry's mind was racing on the walk from the Great Hall down to the dungeons classroom. It was the middle of 7th year, just before Christmas holiday, and the Order still had no lead on Voldemort and the Death Eaters. In the last month more and more muggle towns had been attacked and more and more people were dying, and Harry felt helpless not being able to do anything. This is what he was supposed to prevent; he was supposed to be the savior of the wizarding and muggle world alike, and here he was treaking down to the dungeons to make up a potions class that had ended badly the day before. It was nerve racking.

As they entered the potions classroom it seemed a lot brighter than it had ever been, yet nothing appeared to be different. The same old grime covered tables were set up in the same rows they had been in for centuries now, the same potions supply closet with its dirt covered door that was only unlocked during class hours, and the same desk that Snape always sat at at the beginning of class periods while waiting for the students to file in. Then Harry's eyes fell on the girl. She was still young, no older than twenty-five, with pale skin that was made even paler by her long black hair that fell in loose curls around her shoulders. She had an odd feel about her and Harry figured he wasn't the only one caught off guard by the women's presence and appearance. She was beautiful.

"Leah," said Professor Snape as he entered the classroom behind Blaise Zabini, Draco Malfoy, and Pansy Parkinson. The women sitting at the desk looked up and Harry made note of her sparkling sapphire blue eyes. "How many times have I told you not to sit at my desk?"

Leah raised her eyes to the left and looked thoughtful for a moment as if she were really trying to figure out the times he'd told her that. When she answered Harry was surprised at how quiet her voice was, and hoarse as if she hadn't used it in a while. "Do you mean in my life, or since I've been here? I would say hundreds in my life time, but about eleven since I came back here."

The class, which had settled down by now, was awestruck at the way she spoke to the professor and Harry felt Hermione tense up next to him. The next moment is what caught everyone by surprise and actually made a few Slytherins gasp; Snape mearly shook his head and turned his attention back to his class of students. His eyes widened as if he just realized they were there.

"Well, you all know what to do. If you have any questions you may ask Leah. I have some business to attend to," he said, before looking back at Leah, "And you, I hope you can manage a class of eleven seventeen year olds."

Leah smiled and nodded before responding, "I think so, Sev, I was seventeen only five years ago, people can't have changed in behavior too much since then." Another gasp rang through-out the classroom at the use of Sev for Professor Snape.

"I am quite aware of your age, Leah, and if I remember correctly you are the one who caused the problems in this classroom," he said, before leaving the classroom once more.

Harry just stared at the girl sitting in the front of the room and raised his hand with a sudden inspiration to find out who she was. Leah looked up. "Yes, Mr. Potter? Can I help you?" she asked in a voice slighty louder than the one she'd used with Snape.

Harry simply nodded before asking his question. "I was wondering if you could tell you about yourself. I mean it's not often Snape has a substitute."

Leah smiled once more, which Harry noticed was a beautiful smile, and stood up from her chair. She walked around to the front of Snape's desk and cleared a spot for her to sit upon its surface. "Of course, Harry, you don't mind if I call you all by your first names do you? I always hated sounding formal." Everyone shook their head, implying they didnt mind before she continued, "Well, my name is Leah Lestrange, daughter of Bellatrix Black and Rodolphus Lestrange, and before you ask no I am not a Death Eater, nor have I ever wanted to be one."

This time Draco Malfoy raised his hand, "Are you saying being a death eater is a bad thing?" Leah looked at him as if it was the stupidest question she'd ever heard, but with all things considered it most likely was.

"Well, Draco," Leah started, her voice had grown colder in the few moments she'd paused, "Yes, I would say being a Death Eater is a bad thing if you have a conscience, and I was born with one much to my parents misfortune. Now, I believe Professor Snape would like you to finish your potions before midnight, so please, work." And just like that the conversation was over.

Harry could barely keep his eyes off the substitute teacher and what having her teaching their class meant. Well, she wasn't really teaching, he reasoned with himself, but still, she was here and Snape wasn't and that is what mattered. He was brought out of his questioning thoughts by a loud bang and the feel of a potion splattering on the back of his robes. He turned around to face Neville who had managed, yet again, to explode a cauldron.

"Neville, dear, what in heaven's name did you do?" asked Hermione, rushing to Neville's side to help him out. Neville and Hermione were a weird set of friends, most people were convinced they were romantically involved, but they both insisted they were merely friends. Harry had always hoped it was the latter.

"I'm sorry, Hermione, I didn't mean to. I just cannot get this!" said Neville in a frustrated tone, slamming down into his chair. Hermione put a consoling arm around Neville's shoulder and pulled out her wand to clean up the mess, but was cut short by the Potion's classroom door slamming open. Snape barged in already in a fowl mood and as his eyes fell upon the mess that decorated the dungeon classroom his face paled.

"What in the hell happened here? Mr. Longbottom did you mess up again? Honestly, aren't you competent enough to make a simple truth potion?" started Snape, his voice growing louder with anger with every word. Just as he was about to continue, Leah stepped in front of him, hands on hips and eyebrows raised in question, daring him to proceed with his little speech. His mouth closed instantly.

"Honestly, Sev, do you even have the courtesy to ask what happened?" she snapped, tapping her right foot lightly against the ground. Harry figured it was to seem intimidating, but then again she didn't seem the type of woman who would need to seem intimidating. If this was Leah Lestrange angry, she was pretty intimidating. Her face was calm, but her voice had an icy edge to it; she was the type of person who could hide anger and that made it worse because you never knew when they would explode themselves.

"Alright," Snape said, "Tell me what happened Ms. Lestrange."

"Well, since you are so kind to ask, it was my fault," said Leah, not faltering once in her lie.

Snape coughed back a laugh, and his eyes glittered, "You, Ms. Lestrange? If I remember correctly you excelled with Potions, and it is your current area of expertise. Pray tell how this is your fault."

"Well, Professor Snape, if you must know, the students were asking about my past and I was answering them. I fear that I was distracting to the entire class and did not allow them to focus completely on their Truth Potions, thus Mr. Longbottom's exploded. Not because of his incompetence, but at my distraction." said Leah, very matter of factly, maintaing eye contact with her old Professor the entire time.

Snape's smile froze as he realized that he would not get the truth out of Leah the easy way and would have to resort to childish mind games with her. However, the smile quickly returned.

"Ms. Lestrange, may I check the solidarity of your story?" he asked.

Leah moved away from him maneuvered her way back to his desk and sat in the spot she had cleared for herself earlier. Once settled she looked back at Snape, who had turned around to watch her move about the classroom, and answered him. "Of course, knock yourself out, Sev. Do what ever you need to in order to trust me. Sad that you haven't learned, in the twenty-two years you've known me, to trust. Pity, really."

The class looked at Snape to see how he would respond to this and were surprised to find the smile that had been on his face replaced by a frown and a look of guilt. Severus was suddenly overtaken by a whirlpool of images being pushed forward into his mind; times of Leah sitting at a picnic bench at her family's mansion reading, her in his study placing chess, her blowing cauldrons up in potions class just to piss him off, and the final picture that caught him off guard; Leah lying face down on a cement floor surrounded by cackling Death Eaters, and blood pooling about her small figure. Instantly, Severus was taken back to that fateful day when he had happened upon Leah Lestrange, the one girl who'd ever since influenced his life.

_The lights were low and the cylinder room seemed to be closing in around them. It was his next mission, a mission that would serve the Dark Lord in his fight to kill the infamous Harry Potter, and a mission that would help the order by giving them access to pivotal information. The vault for this next mission held information that would help both sides, and which side used their newly acquired information may very well come out on top in the war. Severus Snape stood against a wall only watching and listening for information that he would later relay to Dumbledore. He had no idea where they had found this girl, but apparently she was vital to their cause. He could not make out her face or her features, but there was something about her voice that nagged at his memory. _

_She was sat down in a chair and bounded by muggle ropes and a muggle gag, as well as spells to prevent her from moving much. Bellatrix Black walked over and removed the gag from the girl's mouth and discarded it by the chair, while the girl opened and closed her mouth to re-salivate it. _

"_Well, girl, talk," Bellatrix stated simply, never once looking at the girl in the chair. Snape thought this was odd because during most interrogations Death Eaters enjoyed watching their victims suffer and squirm._

"_No," said the girl._

"_No? Are you sure? You do know what we are talking about, correct," asked Bellatrix, her back still turned._

"_Unless you came up with another reason to kidnap me, then yes, I have a good idea why I am here," said the girl with a mocking tone. Severus stood up straight, off the wall he was leaning on, frightened by this girl's gal. No one mocked a Death Eater and didn't suffer. He was right; a Death Eater from somewhere in the small crowd cast a Cruciatus curse at the girl. However, her screams never met his ear drums, and for a moment he was worried that she had died instantly from the pain. _

"_Ouch. I would prefer you not do that. It is rather uncomfortable," came her voice, as steady as before. Severus' eyes widened and he pushed forward towards the front of the crowd to get a better look at this very brave or very stupid girl. His eyes came upon a young girl, not girl, woman, of about twenty or so who had long black hair that fell in curls around her shoulders and sapphire eyes that were locked on the back of Bellatrix. _

_Bellatrix instantly turned around to face the young woman in the chair, eyes flashing with anger and face growing redder by the moment. "You stupid girl. Do you know who we are?" she asked._

_The woman's eyes never left those of Bellatrix, and her next stunt surprised Severus even more. He was beginning to grow fond of the young woman in the chair, and instantly hit himself mentally for thinking that. _

"_Yes, you are Bellatrix Black, the man behind you is your husband, Rodolphus Lestrange. The man next to him is Graham Nott, and behind him is the entire Nott family who is apart of the Death Eaters. The man to my right is Lucius Malfoy, the best assasin you've got. The man to my left is Severus Snape, excellent at potions and at being discreet. He would be good spy for that reason," she said, briefly glancing in Severus' direction. His mouth opened as her eyes met his and he wondered how she knew who they were, and more importantly how she knew he was a spy. "Now, do you know who I am?"_

_Bellatrix laughed at what seemed a stupid question, and answered with a light tone, "Of course we know who you are. You are the idiot girl that will give us the potion that makes people invincible." _

"_No, my name, do you know my name?" she asked, her eyes still holding Bellatrix's back. _

"_Why is that important, all we need is the potion that will prevent us from dying," responded Bellatrix._

"_It doesn't prevent you from dying. It makes it so you can transfer your pain to someone else who is willing to take it. Though, it is a rather stupid plan, pain is the body's sensor to stop something, so on a technicality it makes it easier to die," the woman answered. Severus was amazed at her calm voice and ability to answer coherently while surrounded by at least a dozen Death Eaters in a small dark room. _

"_No pain sounds wonderful. Is that why you didn't scream earlier when hit with an Unforgivable curse?" asked Bellatrix, who now seemed interested in what the girl had to say. She thought she was making progress._

"_No, I just have enough will power not to scream. It takes about seven or eight Cruciatus' before I will open my mouth and show my pain," the woman replied. _

"_Oh," said Bellatrix, taking a few steps back, "well, are you going to tell us how to make this potion, or not?"_

"_No, I am not. I would never help you," she replied. Bellatrix hissed at her and pulled out her wand, but before she could yell another curse, she added, "Oh, and my name is Leah, Leah Lestrange." _

_Bellatrix snapped after that and threw curse after curse at Leah, every curse she could think of. Other Death Eaters joined in, reeling in their chance to torture an innocent soul, most not picking up on the name. Severus remembered who she was; the young girl who sat in the back of his potions classroom, causing problems just to get on his nerves, and still passing all assignments with flying colors. The next thing he knew, he was jumping in to protect the young woman who had tormented his teaching days, and managed to fend off a few curses and unbound her. When she was free, she had put a hand on his shoulder and muttered a quick 'no' before being hit with a spell from behind. She fell, a smile still on her face, forwards and blood began to pool around her cold body on the cement floor of the vault. Death Eaters apparated away and left him to take care of the girl. In that one night he'd blown his cover, and almost watched a young woman die. _

Suddenly, the memory stopped and Severus found himself on the floor of his own dungeon classroom back at Hogwarts, with his entire seventh year class staring down at him with questioning looks masking their faces. He put a hand on his head to stop the pounding headache that was threatening to over take him. He sat up slowly to see that Leah was no longer in his classroom and the door to the dungeon was open. He groaned.

"Where did the little brat run off to," he asked, looking around at his students. His eyes locked with Harry Potter's, and he asked his question again. "Mr. Potter, where did Leah go?"

Harry just looked down on his Potions Master in shock. One minute Leah and him had been arguing, then their eyes locked, and Snape suddenly fell over and had some sort of fit. Leah jumped off the desk, clutching to her right wrist, saying their Professor would be fine and that she had something to take care of before rushing out the door. Snape cleared his throat, clearly awaiting an answer from his most hated student.

"I don't know, sir, she ran out of here in a rush," Harry answered, still running the previous hour and a half through his mind.

Snape sighed before answering, "Anything strange about her, Mr. Potter?"

Harry thought about her exit once more. She was sitting on the desk, and watched as Snape fell to the floor in a fit, shaking and yelling, and then after about a minute of watching him she squealed out in her own pain. He had looked at her, her eyes clouded with fear, but her face calm as always. She was holding onto her right wrist for dear life, then ran out...her right wrist.

"Well, sir, she did squeal in pain, and clutch her right wrist, that seemed odd," said Harry.

Severus' face paled considerably and he stood up a little to fast. His mind was racing at what her wrist burning could mean and rushed about his classroom gathering different supplies. The one time he needed his cloak and wand he could not find them.

"Sir," came Hermione's voice, bringing Snape out of his panic, "What is going on?"

Severus stopped and looked at his class, all of whom were looking back at them with fear, worry, and confusion written across their faces. Hermione Granger was out in front her head down, and her eyes peering up at him as if he might snap back at her, which is what part of him wished to do. He sighed and turned completely around, thinking about how to approach the answer to this question.

"Ms. Granger, I haven't the time to answer that right now, and I fear it is not my place to even if I did. Leah will be teaching my classes Tuesday's and Thursday's and any information you wish to ask her, you may. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a young woman to track down before she finds herself in a mess," he said, and with that fled from the classroom, leaving behind several bewildered students.


	2. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters, and unfortunately I do not make any money off of this story.

Chapter Two:

Harry hadn't gotten much sleep the night before and was now dead tired. He had gotten back to Gryffindor Tower with Hermione and Neville around ten after making a stop by the kitchens for a late night snack. The drama in the make up potions class had spread all around the school over night and now hushed conversations about "the new woman with Snape" or "the hot new potions teacher" could be over heard in every corner of the school. In the common room this morning Harry had heard Neville and Hermione telling Ron about how Leah had taken the blame for Neville's cauldron blowing up, and then sent Professor Snape into some sort of fit because he didn't trust her. "Honestly," Hermione had added, "a woman who sends a man into that sort of fit shouldn't be trusted, and a Lestrange no less. However, I give her props for wiping the smirk off Malfoy's face with the Death Eater comment. I don't know what to think."

Now Harry was sitting in the Great Hall in between Hermione and Ron trying to block out all the conversations going on around him. They were all either questioning Leah's ethics, saying she had to be a Death Eater because of her blood line and her friends ("I mean, come on, she is a Lestrange and friends with Snape, how can she not be evil?" Parvati said) or they were about how hot she was and how she was probably really good in bed and was sleeping with Snape for money or something ("I bet she is being paid to get information out of him, and so she sleeps with him to get what she wants," said Dean). Harry stared down at his plate of waffles which were now all soggy from soaking up the syrup he had absent-mindedly poured on them. A familiar clearing of the throat pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Excuse me," came Dumbledore's booming voice across the Great Hall, "I have an announcement to make this morning. It will take but a few moments of your time." Instantly everyone shut up and turned their attention to the Headmaster wondering what could be so important as to require an announcement in the middle of December. "As most of you have heard, we have a new teacher on campus. Leah Lestrange will be assisting Professor Snape since other duties will be taking up his time. Please welcome her."

Leah entered from a side door by the teacher's table and many people gasped at what they saw. Her black hair still hung in curls around her shoulders and her eyes were the same mesmorizing sapphire blue, however this morning she was dressed in a pair of muggle jeans, a sweat shirt, and worn tennis shoes. Her right arm was in a sling, and the bandage around her shoulder was tinted red from where her wound was bleeding through. Her face was still calm and a smile was plastered onto her face, but her eyes betrayed her; they held signs of pain and exhaustion.

Harry's eyes flicked over to Professor Snape and found him missing from the teacher's table and wondered for a moment why he would not be there. Then Harry remembered what Snape had said the night before down in the dungeon about Leah teaching on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and it was indeed a bright and cheerful Thursday morning. Leah struggled to sit down and smiled at Professor Flitwick as he charmed her chair to scoot back in towards the table. He noticed she didn't even touch her plate, and he was half relieved to not be the only one eating and half worried that she didn't have an apatite. He didn't know what had come over him, but he was suddenly very worried for Leah's well-being.

Harry watched her lean towards her left to catch what Professor McGonagall whispered into her ear and he watched her face become paler than it already was as McGonagall leaned away. Leah sat with her head bent down deep in thought, shaking her head as if she couldn't get her mind around something. She looked up and her eyes locked with Harry's; he could almost feel her pain from the look in her eyes. The day before her eyes had shown life and freedom and now she looked like an animal locked in a cage, and he could clearly see she was worried to death about something, or someone. He hoped to God that it wasn't Professor Snape she was worrying about.

"Harry, are you alright, mate?" asked Ron, waving his hand in front of Harry's face to pull his attention back to their table.

"Ah-h, yeah, I'm great. Why?" said Harry, looking back down at his waffles that were now cold.

"You were staring at that new Professor, but she is hot, so I can't blame you," said Ron punching Harry in the arm before getting up. "Come on, don't wanna be late for double Transfiguration."

Severus sat up slowly in the hospital bed and winced in pain as he realized where he was and why he was there. After Harry had told him about Leah grabbing her wrist he had run out after her in hopes to catch her before she threw herself in front of danger for no good reason. Unfortunately, he was too late, and by the time he got to Dumbledore, had him find Leah, and got to the scene of the attack on a near by muggle community she was face down in the pavement surrounded by blood.

It was a picture he was slowly getting used to as it was the third time he'd seen her like that. The first when she was being interrogated by Death Eaters, the second a few weeks before during another attack against muggles, and now the night before. He didn't understand why she was throwing herself into this danger, or how her wrist was a warning system, but he had figured out that much. Every time he asked her about she got a far off look in her eyes and simply stated it was in her job description. Funny, he never thought a Potions Master needed to risk their lives for people they barely knew.

He surveyed the room around him and was shocked to find he wasn't in the Hogwarts' hospital wing, but in a ward in St. Mungo's. He tried to remember exactly what had happened the night before that would cause him to be in the hospital, and he wondered if Leah was somewhere near him as well.

"Ah, Mr. Snape, I see you are awake," came a voice from his left and Severus turned his head to look up into the face of a middle-aged healer. She had a crooked nose and a very round face.

"Why am I here, and where is Leah," he blurted out before he could stop himself.

"Well, you are here because you are suffering from some internal injuries caused by a duel last night, and I do not know who Leah is," said the woman, who had began to poke and prod at Severus, checking his pulse and blood pressure.

Severus' face went very red. "Are you saying I arrived here alone?"

The woman wrote something down on her chart and looked up at Severus. "Indeed, an older man dropped you off early this morning after finding you in the street."

Severus drank a potion that the healer had pushed into his hands, saying it would help ease the pain and cause any left over internal bleeding to end. He figured he would be going home soon enough, and then he would make sure to ask Leah what had happened in that muggle community.

Harry and Hermione walked arm in arm down to the dungeon chatting away about how their first class with Leah would go. Hermione thought it would be unstructured and boring since she was so young and was still carefree about life. Harry smiled and nodded, but deep down he thought it was going to be the hardest potions class in Hogwarts' history. They entered the classroom and took their usual seats in the middle row on the left side of the room. There were only eleven students so Gryffindors and Slytherins sat on the same side of the classroom.

The room was empty except for the students who had now all arrived and were waiting anxiously for their potions class to start. For the eleven who had made it into 7th year N.E.W.T. level potions it was beginning to become a liked class because it seemed that Professor Snape had a new-found respect for older and wiser students. Voices could barely be made out, and Hermione silenced everyone to have a better listen to a seemingly private conversation.

"It wasn't me, goddamnit, so stop pointing fingers. It won't get you anywhere," came Leah's voice from a behind a closed door that everyone knew led to Professor Snape's private study.

"Then, tell us, how did you two end up at the scene of an attack?" asked another, colder voice.

"I can't tell you that! How many times do I have to repeat that fact, or do you just enjoy not getting anywhere with your interrogations," asked Leah, and judging from the atmosphere behind the door it was a shock her voice was so calm.

"Ms. Lestrange, is it," asked the man with the cold voice, "we don't want to have to take you in, but you are not leaving us much of a choice."

A few students had gathered outside of the door to listen in better, and when the door was slammed open by a fuming Leah a few unsuspecting victims were thrown backwards into a desk. Leah stopped short and looked around her classroom, and smiled before walking towards the desk at the front. Two men emerged behind her and Harry grew wide-eyed as he watched them follow her. Percy Weasley and another man leaned back against a desk, while Leah sat herself atop Snape's desk in her usual spot.

"Look, I don't know who you are," said Percy. Leah snorted in laughter. "But I do know that you were found at the scene of a muggle attack last night, and this is your second offence."

The second man spoke up next. "Yes, Ms. Lestrange, it seems quite odd that you would at the scene of two crimes almost two weeks apart."

"Look, fellas, I am sorry that I am better at your job than you are, and actually know when Death Eaters are going to attack. I am sorry you work for a corruptive ministry, and I am sorry that you have nothing more to accuse me of, so if you don't mind, I have a class to teach," said Leah, jumping off the desk and pushing past Percy and the other man to begin a lecture.

"Leah, come on, give us a bone. You have a habit of showing up at these things and coming out unharmed while others sit and recover for weeks in a hospital," said Percy, sounding desperate, "Can't you help us out a little?"

Leah turned around and instantly Percy seemed to realize his mistake, as did everyone else present for the entire confrontation. He paled and began to back away and Harry suspected Leah was counting to ten in her head before opening her mouth. He marveled at how calm she could remain in tense situations.

"Percy, may I ask you where I was eleven days ago," said Leah, hands on hips and her own voice taking on a colder edge.

Percy cleared his throat and loosened his tie. "In the hospital."

Leah seemed to smile at his discomfort and took another step towards him. "And why, may I ask, was I there?"

Percy stepped back into a desk and looked like an animal caught in the headlights. "Because you were on the verge of death."

This time a smile erupted on Leah's face and Harry wondered why she would smile at something like that. "And how long was I there, in the hospital, on the verge of death?"

Percy looked as if he was about to shatter under all the pressure. "Four months in a coma, and another month being treated while awake."

"Ah-h. That is what I thought, now the next time any one of those people ends up in a hospital like that you guilt trip me. But rest assured, if I had not been there most of those people would have been lucky to get an open casket funeral," and with that, Leah turned grabbed Percy my the arm and dragged him to the door, and just before throwing him out muttered a respectable 'good-day'.

Leah turned back around to face her classroom filled with seventh year students and was met by eleven gazes that contained confusion, hatred, envy, fear, and contempt. She smiled slightly and walked with her head held high and shoulders back to the desk at the front of the classroom and rummaged around for a textbook. Once she found one, she opened to a random page and laughed at what she say.

"Turn to page three-hundred and twenty-four," she said, still chuckling and the class did as they were told. Harry felt confused as his eyes fell on a page that explained how to create the 'Draft of Peace' and its uses in everyday life.

"So, as much as Sev is going to kill me for telling you guys this story, after our little incident it is the least I can do," said Leah, as she took her spot on Snape's desk. "I was in 5th year potions, and we were learning how to make this potion. What it does is gives a person a sense of peace, which, of course, my friends and I thought dear old Severus needed. So we slipped it into his goblet before dinner one night and the next day he was going about his day in a complete state of lax. I have never seen that man so undone, it was classic!"

A few chuckles could be heard through-out the room, but for the most part no one could imagine Professor Snape completely undone and in a state of peace. It just wasn't possible, however the idea seemed kind of funny.

"Hmm, I guess you sort of had to be there," sighed Leah, and she got a distant look in her eyes as she reminisced about the scene more.

Neville cleared his throat and Leah looked at him. "May I ask you something, Ms. Lestrange?"

She smiled. "Of course, and call me Leah. I am only five years your senior."

Neville blushed at her casual air. "What house were you in, and what was school like here in your time?"

"Ah-h, well that is a long story, but if everyone is willing to bear with me I am happy to tell it," she said, looking around to a classroom filled with nodding heads. "Alright, so we can make a deal, one question and one story a week. Deal?"

Again everyone nodded and seemed genuinely interested in this girl's life. "Alright, well I was in Gryffindor, much to my parents misfortune. The sorting hat was barely placed upon my head when it shouted out that name. To tell you the truth I was a little disappointed, my entire family was Slytherin and I didn't want to be different, but at the end of first year I realized I would never be like my family."

She paused for a moment to catch her breath before continuing, "The thing about my family, which is what I guess I will share today, is that they are supporters of an evil worse than most people think. Yes, dear old Voldemort is evil, but it is the ethics behind it that drives people to hate and to kill. Each person has a part in this war and it is your ethics and morals that will decide your fate. For me, prejudice is wrong as is torture of people, so I have yet to do either."

Hermione interrupted, "Have you ever killed anyone, Leah?"

Lia looked slightly shocked by this question, but regained her composure quickly, "That is a bit complicated to explain. Have I personally ever killed someone, pointed a wand at them and said an Unforgivable, no. However, my actions and choices have led to the deaths of people."

The class remained silent as each person thought about what Lia had just told them. Harry figured it all made sense. It was the prejudice and fear and morals and ethics that really did lead people down the paths that create their lives. If they are driven by greed and power then their choices and destiny will reflect that, and the fear of muggle-borns and a superiority complex of most wizards drove them to the war they were all apart of now. It was a pity that people could not get along, and that a hatred for a father could drive one man to want to kill everyone unworthy in his eyes.


	3. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters, and unfortunately I do not make any money off of this story.

Chapter Three:

Severus woke up once more in the same closed ward at St. Mungo's only this time two people from the ministry were milling about around his bed. The nurse was trying her hardest to keep them away from him, but once they noticed he was awake they came charging for his bed. He recognized both of them; one was Percy Weasley, who he found more annoying than Potter, and the other was a no name student he had had about six years ago.

Percy sat in a chair by Severus' bed. "Excuse me, sir, but may we ask you a few questions?"

Severus sat up, rather uncomfortably. "I trust I have no option."

Percy smiled and nodded his head. "Does the name Leah Lestrange ring a bell?"

Severus paled, wondering what they knew about Leah. "Why, what happened to Leah?"

"Ah-h, so you are a first name basis with the woman?" asked Percy, smiling like he had just discovered a very important fact that would turn his entire career around. However, if he got the information he needed it just might.

"Of course I am on a first name basis with my assistant. Who wouldn't be?" said Severus, turning his head away from the boys to search for the nurse. She was nowhere in sight.

The smile on Percy's face faltered and he was at a loss for what to ask next. It seemed reasonable that a man would call his assistant by her given name, never mind that she had once been a student. Percy hated to admit it, but the Lestrange girl always had higher marks than him and no matter how hard he tried he simply couldn't match her potions marks.

"I hear her current profession is in potions, is that true," asked Percy, turning away from his old professor.

Severus laughed, causing Percy to turn around. "No, as an assistant to a potions master her profession has absolutely _nothing _to do with potions." He laughed more, partly because it really was a ridiculous question, but mostly because he could get away with lying. Sure, Leah was a master with potions and potions making, and she had come across a pain transferring potion, but that wasn't her true purpose in life. Not that Severus knew what her purpose was, she wouldn't tell him, but he knew that the Death Eaters would after her for more than that potion.

Percy, who was now convinced he would not get any valuable information from Severus Snape, stormed out of the hospital ward. His partner turned around and thanked Severus for cooperating and apologized for Percy's behavior toward him. Severus reassured the man that it was no inconvenience and watched as he exited the ward as the nurse entered.

"Well, Mr. Snape," greeted the nurse, a scowl on her face, "it seems you are free to go. A Mr. Dumbledore will floo over in a few moments to take you back to Hogwarts."

The nurse hadn't lied and sure enough Dumbledore appeared in next to his bed in a matter of minutes. After saying their greetings Severus followed Dumbledore down to the main part of St. Mungo's and flooed back to Hogwarts. Once in Dumbledore's office Severus was surprised to see that they were not alone, in fact, a majority of the Order members were seated or standing about waiting for the Headmaster to return. However, it was not the Order members that caught Severus' attention, it was Leah. She was sitting behind Dumbledore's desk looking out at everyone in the small crowd and she looked anxious, as if one of these people were going to kill her.

"Please, Severus," said Professor Dumbledore, drawing his attention, "take a seat. We have some new information brought to our attention."

Severus did as he was told, sitting next to Lupin, not once taking his eyes off of Leah, and she seemed to notice, looking up and catching his gaze with hers. There was something behind those eyes of hers, something that being hidden from the rest of the world. Her eyes often changed color on her mood and feelings, being lighter the happier she was, and darker the more serious or frightened she was, however this shade of blue was new. It was dark, the color of the night sky on a moonless night, and they were most definitely searching for something. She pulled her gaze away from his and looked up at Dumbledore expectantly, as if what he said would either fix her entire world or make it crash down and fall apart completely.

He nodded at her before beginning a speech. "We brought you all here today to share some very important information. With the press sneaking about for information on Leah we thought that it was tell you exactly why she is here. Has anyone ever heard of the 'Guardian of the Order of the Pheonix'?"

A few people nodded, but most looked completely confused. It was Remus Lupin who answered everyone's questions. "Professor, it is merely a myth isn't it? A young woman has the power to protect every member of the Order, and when they are in grave danger some sort of signal gets sent out to her. When she receives the signal she either transfers her own magic to the person or shows up to help them. It is just a fairytale though, right?"

Professor Dumbledore smiled, and shook his head. "No, Mr. Lupin, it is not a myth, and our own Lia is the Guardian. A woman finds out who she is the Guardian at the age of fifteen after the old guardian passes away. At fifteen, Leah was chosen as the new Guardian and began her training for her task. It is her duty, and her duty alone to keep the Order members alive and healthy, and it is our duty to keep Harry alive to defeat Voldemort. It is a rather large task for a young woman of twenty-two, but Leah has agreed to come back here to help our cause."

Silence settled over the office while everyone took in what they had just heard. A story, a myth, a legend was supposed to be true, and not only true but a girl most of them had taught or known was supposed to be the one link that would either make or break the war. Without her they could all die, and with her they could more powerful than before. It seemed too surreal to be happening, but here they were being told that this woman was indeed the Guardian of the Order of the Pheonix and she would be risking life and limb to make sure they lived.

Severus stood up in outrage, there was no way he would let her go through with something like this; she was way too young to handle that sort of pressure. "Leah, you have to be reasonable. There are those of us who are older and wiser and we aren't even capable to handle what you are taking on."

Leah stood up and smiled at him. "It is my duty, Severus, and it is my choice. Professor Dumbledore has made it clear I can back out if I want and the Order can fight this battle alone, however I choose to stand and fight."

"Leah, how can you, you are still young, why would you risk your life when you don't have to?" asked Severus stepping closer to the desk.

Her smile faltered as she stared at the man in front of her. It was true, Leah Lestrange had always found the older man rather attractive, despite his twenty years on her. There was something about him that made her catch her breath every time he entered a room, and made her want to please him. She would do anything to make Severus happy, minus all the years she had tormented him as a teenager, but that was due to a crush on a teacher, but right now all she wanted- needed- to do was please her own hearts wishes. If that meant risking life and limb for a world she had separated herself from five years previous, and fight her own flesh and blood to the death, than that is exactly what she would do.

"Look, I am not asking you to understand why I have to do this, but I do. Not everyone gets to choose their path in life, and this is the path that was set for me. Now, I can either help out the Order in this war or I can go crying back to my parents and help Lord Voldemort, but either way I cannot change who I am or what I know. I choose to help the Order."

Again a silence came over the office as they watched the older Potions Master stare down his small, but strong, assistant. Severus had to admit the girl had nerve and bravery for what she was willing to do, but then he reasoned the sorting hat didn't put her in Gryffindor for nothing. Even as a little girl Leah was one to do what she wanted, what she felt was right or needed to be done, and she didn't care how much she hurt herself in the process; if it was for the greater good she was out there with the best of them.

He had to admit he had a deeper love for the young woman standing in front of him than he had had for anyone in his life. She was everything he wasn't, brave, strong, compassionate. Here she was, at the young age of twenty-two, willing to do the hardest thing ever asked of her, when he could never forgive himself for his many faults. He had taken the Dark Mark out of fear and her she was, openly fighting against it. It was one thing for a muggle-born to fight Lord Voldemort, but it was completely different for a pure-blood, a daughter of two of the most infamous Death Eaters was fighting against them. She wouldn't back down from her task, her duty, or lie to protect herself, she would simply accept whatever punishment would come her way.

He smiled at Leah and nodded his head in agreement. It had to be done, and there was no way he could convince her otherwise. This was her path in life and she would walk in with her head held high and fears pushed aside. She would be the savior or downfall of the wizarding world. She had many battles and obstacles to overcome, and instead of fighting her on this, Severus Snape would be by her side the entire time. He had watched as many witches and wizards attempted to defeat darkness alone and knew it could not be done. This was his path in life, to help the one woman he had ever loved accomplish her own tasks. However, little did he know, this would be the hardest challenge he would ever attempt to accomplish.

A/N: Read and Review...pretty please?


	4. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer:** Nope...characters still aren't mine...except Leah.

Mithril-Moony: Yay for you, my first reveiwer. I have discovered that when english teachers drillproper comma usage into my head, the less I actually want to use it.

Chapter Four:

Little had happened in the week and a half that Severus had been back at Hogwarts and he was more than happy to back into a semi-normal routine. It was still strange that he only had to teach classes three days a week, and had the other two off to do errands and work for the Order, but he was still happy. His classes seemed to like Leah and were showing signs of improvement in their own potions work; whatever that girl was doing was having a positive effect on his students and he was grateful for it.

He had discussed with Leah sitting in on one of her classes to see how she operated and functioned as a teacher and she was perfectly willing to allow him this honor, after all they were still technically his classes, as long as he chose a fourth year or below class. Apparently the older students were having more personal approach to potions making and she didn't want him to upset their "flow."

He entered the classroom at nine o'clock sharp, the time that the second year Gryffindor and Slytherin potions class was supposed to occur. Instead he found only Leah sitting in the front desk, grading papers and listening to music from a muggle contraption that she had charmed to work despite the wards on Hogwarts. He had to hand it to her, she was certainly gifted when it came to bending the rules.

She seemed to feel his presence because she looked up at him. "Hello, Severus. The class will be here shortly."

Severus nodded and took a seat in one of the back desks and waited a few minutes taking in the music that was bouncing off the walls. It was a lively beat, however the lyrics were about some man who was being a mother or something. It was strange, but catchy and it wasn't long before he started to nod his head in time with the music. Soon enough, second year students began to file into the classroom and one younger girl named Mari squealed and began to sing along with the lyrics of the song. Lia looked up and began singing and dancing with the little girl, and soon most of the class was dancing and singing along with her. Once the song ended Leah turned off the contraption and the students settled down in their seats, looking eager to learn.

"Okay, so today I promised you a story and a question. Let's see, John, I think it is your day," said Leah, looking at John, a Slytherin boy who seemed excited to ask her a question. Severus was wondering what she meant by a story and a question, but his own questions were soon answered.

"Well, I was wondering why you have an American accent if your from London," he asked, looking shy in front of the older woman, which Severus thought was amusing because around him he was always loud mouthed and obnoxious.

Leah smiled and took her usual story telling place on top of Severus' desk. "That is a great question, John. After I graduated from Hogwarts' I moved to America to do research for the ministry over there. I lived in California for about five years before I came back here to work and finish my research."

The class leaned forward eagerly as if they were waiting for something and Severus realized that she had only answered the question, not told a story. He found himself leaning forward curious about what Leah had done with herself for five years in America.

"Alright, story time, let me think," she said, tapping her fingers on her knee, "Ah-h! Okay, so how many people here have a best friend?" Almost everyone in the classroom raised their hands. "Good, that is what I thought. Well, my best friend is a man named Jackson, Jack for short, Mable, and he and I worked together in the American Ministry. We hated each other for months and one day our Minister, Mr. Grafton, assigned us to work together on a project. Now, needless to say we didn't want to cooperate, and we would do everything in our power to mess the other one up. Well, one time we really did mess something up and ended up blowing up half of my apartment building, and from that moment on we were best friends. Can anyone think of why?"

The class was silent and Leah waited patiently for someone to raise their hand. Severus was surprised at the amount of patience this girl had, first she allowed them to be about five minutes late and now she had asked them a question they were refusing to answer. He thought students should respect teachers more and he was growing red with anger. Leah, of course, noticed that he was about to blow a fuse and spoke up.

"Sev, please, calm down," she said, while the entire class turned to look at their Potions Master, "It really is no reason to get upset. They will answer when they discover the lesson in the story."

She was right, for not a minute had passed and a boy raised his hand. "That friendships can be made out of the unexpected and that we should always have an open mind to people."

"Ah-h! Bingo, my boy, ten points to Slytherin. Now for today's lesson we will learn the usage of the Draught of the Living Dead."

The class continued on for the rest of the time, Leah asking questions and waiting patiently for the students to answer. Severus was surprised when she didn't get mad at one boy for using his potions textbook, and even more surprised that when another girl challenge his usage of his textbook she merely commented on his resourcefulness. Leah had said that it was a good idea to memorize potions and ingredients and things, however unless you need to recall it from memory you might as well use what you have. The students were eager and active and all seemed to have passing marks from Leah, and she treated Slytherin and Gryffindor fairly; taking away points when needed and giving points when deserved. He was shocked at what watching this girl could teach him about life.

The class ended and the students filed out, handing Leah the paragraph they had written towards the end of the period on how they were going to have a good weekend; it was an odd assignment but both the students and Leah seemed to enjoy it. He figured she was a great teacher and that her young age helped her gain her respect. At exactly eleven o'clock the seventh year class poured into the classroom, on time, and she looked over at Severus expectantly. He really didn't want to leave, but he had made a promise not to interrupt the "flow" of her older classes.

As Severus exited the classroom he wondered what exactly the "flow" of her older classes meant, and how she had the authority to kick him out of his own classroom. On a technicality, they were still his classes and he had the right to watch over them as Leah taught, however he knew he couldn't do that. But why? If it was any other woman teaching he wouldn't have a problem using his power-but Leah wasn't any other woman.

As he roamed to corridors-which was a new obsession since he was unable to sit in his quarters during class time- he thought about Leah. He found it harder and harder to get the young woman off of his mind these days, in fact, he was lucky if he could go an hour with out some sort of thought about her. She was beautiful with her long, black hair and her deep blue eyes that were a window into her soul- she could mask any feeling on her face and with her body language, but the second you looked into her eyes you could tell exactly how she felt. He figured she didn't mask her feelings there on purpose, that a part of her wanted people to know how she felt.

Apart from her looks, Leah was still magnificent, and it was her personality that really stuck out in his mind. He had known Leah since she was born, always hanging around with the oldest Black sibling and her husband. She didn't look much like her parents and she acted far more different from them. Leah had been sorted in to Gryffindor, had a strange attachment to muggle-borns, and was brave and loyal beyond belief. _She could probably give Potter a run for his money,_ he thought.

It was true, while Potter and Leah were both forced to walk a certain path in life, Leah did hers with much more grace. While Potter played the angst-ridden hero without pause, Leah never once complained or let her raw emotions show. Perhaps it was because she is older and more experienced than Potter, but then Severus thought about what he had heard back in Dumbledore's office. _The new Guardian is chosen at the age of fifteen after the old one passes away._ She was forced into her training, her life, around Potter's age, and even then no one had any idea who she was. She had secretly protected them from half way around the world forfive years now.

Severus found himself in an old astronomy tower, used back before his school days at Hogwarts, but there was something about this old dusty room that seemed used and loved. He looked around the circular room and discovered an old fireplace that was meant to keep students warm on cold December nights and a series of small windows about the room used for star gazing. He guessed that this tower was used during winter to keep students out of the harsher elements, while still allowing them to star gaze.

He walked over to the nearest window and looked out across the grounds of Hogwarts; it was a splendid view. He didn't hear the latch on the door catch as he was lost to his own thoughts as he peered out the window, and he didn't notice a young vixen starting a fire or sit down on an old worn couch. She sat there quietly watching the Potions Master. When he finally turned around he jumped and put a hand to his heart.

"Jesus! Don't do that to me!"

Leah smiled, "Sorry, Sev, I didn't mean to scare you." She stared into the fireplace and Severus noticed she was worried about something.

"Hey, what's wrong Leah?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

"Huh," she said, returning her eyes to him as he sat down next to her, "Oh, well I have a favor to ask of you." He nodded, and she pressed on, "Well, for Christmas holiday I have to go back to California and it seems that Dumbledore wants me to take some students along with me for a 'learning experience'. I just, well, could you go with me?"

He looked at her for a moment, wanting to make her sweat, but knew he would say 'yes' ultimately. There was no way he could deny anything to Leah. "Yeah, of course, who are we taking and what are we doing?"

Leah squealed and threw her arms around his neck, nearly knocking him backwards. She pulled a list out of her pocket and unfolded it. "Okay, well, this is the part you don't like. I am taking seven students, all from seventh year potions."

"That sort of narrows it down, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, well, here are the people who made the list. They were compiled by Albus and I. Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, and Blaise Zabini." She looked up at him, a nervous smile on her face, hoping he would agree.

"Well, as much as I don't want to spend my holiday with the Gryffindorks or the annoying Slytherin brats, for you I will go-" and before he could finish Leah jumped on him again and showered him with thanks.

He looked at her as she ran out of the old astronomy tower muttering something about finalizing plans with Dumbledore. He wondered why she had to go back to America, but didn't miss the nostalgic look in her eyes earlier when she was talking about it. He also wondered how she knew where this old tower was, but figured it was a question for another day. He put out the fire and exited the room, never looking back.


	5. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, except Leah. She is mine. **

Chapter Five:

Severus found himself sitting in Dumbledore's office with Leah attempting to understand why exactly they were to take this little vacation half way across the world. As it turns out it was much more than a learning experience, but more a training session.

"So, let me get this straight. Apart from the Guardian, she has six helpers that help her?" asked Severus, stumbling over the words he was using to formulate his thoughts. It was difficult.

"Sort of, Sev. They are known as "_Bidental Senarius_" or the "_Sacred Six_". They are supposed to help me on my mission and are chosen based on ability and certain...visions I suppose." Leah looked completely nonplused by this information, however, he figured there was reason to that.

Severus just sat in stunned silence. According to Leah, she just knew, _knew_, that these six boys and girls were meant to swear their lives to protect her and the cause. Now, she could "do it on her own, however it would be more better with their help." He just did not get it. At all. First off, why did the Guardian need help, and more confusing, why were three Slytherins on that list?

"Okay, explain it one. more. time." Leah sighed, clearly frustrated, and Dumbledore had a twinkle in his eyes as usual. Damn him.

"Fine, one. last. time. The "_Bidental Senarius_" or "_Sacred Six_" are three girl girls and three boys from mixed background that bring something unique to a force designed to fight evil. The _Bidental Senarius _have a leader, the Guardian of the Order, namely me, and we are a force only drawn on in times of need. The last time the _Bidental Senarius_ and Guardian were actually used was a very long, long time ago. You clear so far?" Severus nodded his head. "Okay, the Guardian always exist, however, the powers of the _Six_ are only called upon when in desperate need. The signs aren't seen by the Guardian unless they are needed, so we can safely assume we are supposed to train Hermione, Neville, Dean, Draco, Pansy, and Blaise because they are the _Six_. No escaping that. Got it?"

Severus nodded again, and at that moment the door to the office opened and in came strolling the seven students that would be accompanying them on their training session in California–Leah's other home. It was at this moment Severus realized that they were taking seven students on this trip, and the group of protectors was known as the "_Sacred Six_"; he scanned the room and his eyes fell on Harry Potter, who most definitely wasn't part of that group. He looked up at Leah who seemed to understand his confusion and walked over to him. Leaning into his ear, she whispered, "Don't you think the boy should know who his pillars of strength are?" With that she rose up and called attention to the students in the room.

"As you all know, you've been selected to accompany back to California for a learning experience in potions and other applications of magic in the real world. Now, since this is such a long journey, we will be traveling as muggles." This comment gained a groans from the Slytherin students. "Ah-h, yes, I thought a few of you may not like this; however, you have no choice. Now, we will leave here shortly and will travel by train to King's Cross Station and from their we will take two cabs to the airport in London. After that, we board a plane for California. Now, please all meet Professor Snape and I in the Great Hall in twenty minutes. Any questions?"

Leah looked about the room expectantly and nodded when no one raised their hands. Everyone filed out of the room, talking excitedly about the adventure they were all about to embark on. Severus turned placed a hand on Leah's shoulder to command her attention. She turned around and smiled up at him, while slipping her own arm around his waist. He felt himself growing hot because of her touch, and his breath seemed to be coming in short and rapid. A thousand emotions rushed through him at once– happiness, lust, love, hunger, desire, confusion, fear– and he prayed that she couldn't see them passing across his face. Of course, Leah had and she only smiled more knowing what she did to the man.

"Come on," she said, removing her arm much to Severus' dismay, "We need to be ready for the students."

The trip to the airport was uneventful as all the students had traveled by train before, however many students were disgruntled to actually have to board a plane and fly for many hours to reach California. Draco, Pansy, Blaise, and Neville went through the gate and security checkpoints in a daze, while Harry, Hermione, and Dean seemed to have much more grace, and the entire time Leah coached them through acting as muggle as possible. Again, Severus was amazed at her patience with the teenagers and how she did everything with a smile plastered to her face. Sometimes he really wondered if she was happy, or if she smiled out of habit.

They were now all sitting on the plane, in their assigned seats, most looking nervous. He turned his attention to Leah when she placed her hand on his shoulder from the seat behind him–he had been disappointed when they weren't allowed to sit together, but she insisted it was easier to look after the children this way.

"It will be okay, flying is a breeze," she comforted him, and everyone else aboard the plane.

The beginning had been rocky, but all in all Leah was right, flying was a breeze; this did not, however, take away the joy that everyone felt once they had finally touched down in the Oakland Airport in beautiful California. Everyone had thought Leah was crazy when she boarded the plane in jeans and a tank top, but when they stepped off the plane a wave of heat hit them. She lead the way to the baggage claim and everyone found their items before exiting the massive airport. So far the experience had been tremendous and many students would have been happy to return with what knowledge they knew of the muggle world already, but the thrill of what was to come pulled them along behind Leah as she led the way to a parking garage.

She stopped along side a small SUV that was silver in color and looked rather small. She pulled out her wand and placed the necessary expanding charms on it so all the students and luggage would fit properly. Once inside she told everyone to buckle up and they all looked at her confused until she showed them exactly what a seat belt was and how to "buckle up."

Draco Malfoy snorted, "This is supposed to save our lives?"

Hermione hit him, muttering something about being disrespectful. Leah laughed, "Yes, Mr. Malfoy, and don't be fooled, it does actually work. Muggles receive far too little credit.'

"And why can't we just floo or apparate? We all have our apparating licenses," came Pansy's voice from the back.

"Because, Ms. Parkinson," answered Leah, looking in her rear-view mirror and backing out slowly, "I live in the muggle part of a city known as San Francisco."

The drive to Leah's house proved to be more entertaining as everyone took in the sights. They crossed over a bridge and marveled at all the tall buildings and such that the muggles had made without the use of magic. It seemed with every second that passed the seven witches and wizards in the car learned more about the world around them. Even Draco muttered something about how amazing muggles must be if they could create all this with their hands.

Leah drove and pointed out sights and answered the million questions that the students threw at her with pleasure. Severus had never her seem so at home anywhere, not even back in the Lestrange Manor had she seemed this carefree, but then again, she hadn't grown up in the best family. He felt a little sad when he thought about how she had to move half a world away and live in an entirely different culture in order to be happy and escape her past, and he felt even more horrible that it was the world she hated that she was now risking her life to defend.

"So, wait, this is your house?" came Hermione's voice, clearly impressed with what she say. Severus looked out the window to see a lovely flat set up a few blocks away from the coast line, and that it had a spectacular view. Leah parallel parked next to it and helped everyone get out their things.

"Yes, this is home sweet home."

She gathered everyone up and led them up the steps that led to her front door. She knocked once and her smile faltered when there was no answer. Another knock, still no answer. "Oh, damn it all to hell!" She put her hand on the doorknob and whispered _alohomora_ under her breath and everyone's eyes widened when the lock clicked and she pushed the door open.

Severus felt a sense of love and passion when he stepped over the threshold of her home. He was greeted by a large family room that took his breath away. On the wall next to the door was a fireplace, the mantel filled with pictures of Leah and people he didn't know, two chairs in front of the fire and a table in between them that had various books on it. In the center of the room was an overstuffed couch and coffee table that was placed carefully in front of a large black, muggle object that was shaped like a box.

"Through that door, is the guest bedroom, which has been expanded to fit you seven. A bathroom is attached, and yes, you have to share." He turned his attention back at Leah as she waved her hand to her left–his right–and he turned to see a wooden door.

He followed her into the kitchen which was just as magnificent as the simple, yet elegant, family room. It had the usual muggle contraptions needed in a kitchen, and in the center was a counter with four stools around it. Through two double-doors he could make out a dining room, which he figured was where they would spend their evenings.

Leah led them back into the family room and motioned to the stairs, "Up there is my room, another guest room where Professor Snape will be staying, and Jack's room. You are, under no circumstance, to go upstairs." Her eyes grew hard at this command, and suddenly Severus felt himself wondering what was upstairs, and why he was able to go up if her other guests weren't.

"You didn't tell me you had guests coming, Princess," came a voice from behind them. Severus turned around and saw a man, wearing nothing but a towel, walking down the stairs. He had dark brown hair, that fell over his forehead and deep brown eyes, and was dripping water all over the carpet. Severus could hear the young girls' behind him swooning as they beheld the young man in all his splendor.

"Oh, Jack!" screamed Leah, running forward and throwing herself into his open arms. He spun her around a few times before he set her down, putting his arm around her shoulder, and looking at the eight intruders before him.

"So, these people are who?" he asked, looking down at Leah. Severus noticed a bit of irritation in his voice and eyes, but shrugged it off.

Leah pulled away and walked over to the group. "I told you, Jack, that I would be back for holidays and that I would be bringing some students of mine. They are here for a learning experience." She pointed out each person individually and then continued to explain that they excelled in potions and were here to learn about life in the real world.

Jack nodded and grinned–not a happy grin, but a 'there-isnt-much-I-can-do-now' sort of grin. "Right, so you brought them back here why? You couldn't use the English ministry?"

"Jack, I don't work for the English ministry." She looked at him hard, as if willing him not to say what he was going to. Severus thought the exchange between the two friends was strange. Jack nodded and walked back up the stairs and slammed the door to his room shut. Leah breathed a sigh of relief, and turned around to the silent crowd. "Well, he is a bit temperamental at times. Who wants to sight-see?"

Later that night, after all the students were in bed exhausted from a day around town, Severus lay in bed finding it hard to sleep. He couldn't get out of his mind the strange exchange between Leah and Jack; there was something wrong with the way they acted around each other. It was simply not how best friends acted; ever. He sat up in bed when he heard muffled voices coming from below him in the kitchen. Crawling out of bed and sneaking downstairs, he leaned against the wall near the kitchen door and listened to the argument raging inside.

"God damnit, woman! You don't have a job at the American ministry either!" Jack's voice was filled with fury. Severus flinched at his harsh tone.

"Jack, all I have to do is talk to Mr. Grafton, I'm sure–" but Leah's pleading voice was cut off.

"No, Leah, no. You aren't getting this job back, ever! This is your third offense. You lost your job the second you were stupid enough to get kidnaped by Death Eaters, and Grafton won't hear of taking you back. You just aren't worth the price we might pay."

"Are you saying its might fault I got kidnaped? Like I had any control over that?"

"You must of leaked to someone about the potion, you had to be talking–which is something you were always good at, mind you– otherwise they wouldn't have known. How else would the Dark Lord know that you held the secret to this potion? A potion, I might add, we've been working on for years; it could change the wizarding community forever."

"I don't know, Jack, I don't know! I didn't leak it! Maybe you did, maybe they offered you some sort of power. You were always power hungry, wanting fame, hint your wanting this potion to be a success. All I know is my innocence, and right now, I am pretty damn sure you're the weak link in this chain, not me!"

Severus heard what sounded like skin on skin contact and peeked around the corner to see tears welling up in Leah's eyes, her cheek turning red. He saw Jack drop his hand to his side, before continuing on his rampage. "You bitch! You are a stubborn bitch who doesn't know what's good for you. You may be able to last through a few curses, Lestrange, but mark my words: your days on this earth are numbered." It wasn't an empty promise.

On that final note Jack apparated out of the kitchen, and Severes breathed easier knowing he wouldn't come across him spying. He watched as Leah turned around, her cheek red, and her eyes hard and full of contempt. She walked across the kitchen to the small fireplace and pulled a bag off the mantel and opened it up. After she had a sufficient amount of Floo powder, she slammed it down and called out, "Narcissa Malfoy", whose head immediately popped up into the fireplace.

Severus tore up the stairs and into his bedroom and slammed into his bed face down. There was no way she was with _them_; it wasn't possible. He had seen her tortured and beaten; he had seen her show up to fight selflessly for muggles she didn't even know; and now here she was, in her kitchen, having some sort of conversation with Narcissa Malfoy, wife of one of the most well-known Death Eaters. He fell into a troubled sleep, still not wanting to believe his premonitions about Leah were wrong, way wrong.

A/N: Read and Review!


	6. Chapter Six

**Disclaimer: Still only own Leah...no one else...**

Chapter Six:

"Sir, she is suspicious of me. It isn't wise to continue this mission. Not with me."

"Silence," his voice rang out cold and lifeless, reverberating off the damp stone walls deep beneath the city. "She is a mere girl, we can handle her."

"But, sir, she has the _Bidental Senarius_ already gathered, what am I to do with them? Surely with their power she is unstoppable."

"Silence! She is a mere girl, and her side-kicks are mere children. We can handle them; all of them. Continue with the mission as planned, and bring them to me; all of them." He turned away from the man shivering on the floor at his feet.

The man spoke up once more. "She has Harry Potter with her too, sir."

An evil grin broke on the older man's face, "Good, bring him too. We can finish them all off together, and surely her beloved Order will run to rescue her today. Its two birds with one stone."

Severus pulled the covers farther over his head as the morning sunlight poured into his room and across his bed. He missed his dungeons where sunlight was hardly an issue, and he could avoid such early morning wake-up calls. He heard a faint ruffling of noise below him and figured it was the students up and about, but then he heard his name being called by none other than Narcissa Malfoy. He could recognize that high-pitched voice anywhere. His blood boiled as the memories from last night came up.

He stomped down to the family room to find everyone waiting for him to make an appearance. His eyes fell on the woman sitting on the coffee table, hovering over someone lying on the couch; Narcissa Malfoy. She still had an elegant beauty about her, but something in her eyes troubled him, and he approached the coach with caution. At this point he noticed the students were sitting around looking troubled about something as well.

Narcissa looked up and seemed relieved to see him. "Severus, go fill this up with ice cold water, Harry can show you where." She handed him a bowl and he followed Harry into the kitchen.

"Harry, what happened?" he asked, looking at the boy who was filling the bowl up with ice from something called a "freezer."

"I don't know, sir, we all woke up to find them in the same position they are in now: Leah with a high fever mumbling in her sleep, and Ms. Malfoy caring for her. When we asked her what happened she said she had to wake you up first. That is where we are now." Severus smiled at Harry's quick responses; it seemed the boy was growing up after all and beginning to figure out what to fight, and what not to.

When they returned Narcissa told everyone to sit down. As Severus moved around the coach to sit next to Draco his eyes fell on a very pale and sweaty Leah Lestrange. She was mumbling and tossing in her fevered coma, and she seemed to be in an immense state of pain.

"Alright, everyone settle down. There is something I have to explain to you," and with that Narcissa launched into an explanation describing the "_Sacred Six_" to the seven students before her and how exactly they would help Leah and Harry conquer Lord Voldemort. When she was finished a stunned silence settled over the flat, and Harry was the first one to break it.

"I thought I was the only one who could kill Voldemort." He looked up at Narcissa who was reapplying a cold towel to Leah's head.

"Well, yes, you're the only one who can say the curse, but Leah can make that possible. She can protect you so it is only you and Voldemort; not you and some Death Eaters." She looked down at Leah who seemed to be growing worse by the second. She frowned as she picked up her wand and muttered a curse. She pulled a vial of potion out of her robe pocket and somehow managed to get Leah to swallow half its contents, her sputtering and coughing before falling back down on the couch, never once waking up.

Severus wanted to ask what was happening to the woman, but he never got the chance to because suddenly her body went limp and her muttering stopped. A smile broke on Narcissa's face as she replaced the vial into her pocket, placed her wand on the table, and removed the wet towel from Leah's forehead, water running down the sides and forming dark, wet circles on the pillow.

"But, mum, what can the _Six_, or whatever they are called, do," asked Draco, who was sitting next to Harry looking very perplexed.

"Well, your job is to give up your-" but she never finished the sentence as she fell to the floor.

Behind her stood Lucius Malfoy with his wand pointed out. Draco cried out and ran to his mother's side, but he was hit by another curse. Behind Lucius four more Death Eaters entered the small flat and he moved to kneel by Leah. He shook her shoulder slightly until she stirred from her fevered slumber, her eyes blinking the room around her in focus.

"Lucius, I see you've discovered that I arranged the_ Six_." It wasn't a question, but a statement. Leah flinched in pain, her hand clutching her right wrist, as she sat up on the couch. Little did she know it was warning her that she was in trouble.

"Of course, my dear, we couldn't have done this without you." He smiled and she stood up, pulling out her wand. Severus half expected her to fight off all five Death Eaters on her own, but then she turned around to face the six people who hadn't been hit by spells.

"Come on, we haven't got all day. Stand up." The five students and Severus stood up and immediately were bound with a curse, their hands behind their backs. Severus stared at her with his mouth hanging wide opened not understand what was going on, then, she winked. A slow and secretive wink that he was sure no one else noticed, and he knew that this was a plan. Something she and Narcissa must have set up.

If there was one thing he could count on, it was Leah being full of surprises. This was one hell of a surprise, but worry fluttered in his stomach. No one should meddle with the Dark side, never push their limits when dealing with a power greater than them, however, Leah was always one to test the limits and she had yet to fail. That did nothing to reassure him though, as he stood up.

"Good job, Leah. I knew you would come through for us. I am glad you decided not to fight this. It seems you do have a clue what is good for you and your little friends, despite what your mother says about you." said Lucius, his hearty laugh ringing in the room. Severus noticed Leah's eyes burn with fire at the mention of her mother.

"Come on, follow him," said Leah, her voice calm. The students did as they were told, as Lucius levitated Draco out of the room behind the Death Eaters and other students. She turned to Severus and nodded to the door. He walked past her and noticed that she bent down to close Narcissa's eyes, missing her mutter a spell that would bring Narcissa to in a matter of minutes. She turned and followed Lucius and everyone else out the door, her face calm and set as always, but her eyes betrayed her. They were fill with apprehension and fear and hope, and as she apparated to the meeting spot she prayed with all her might that she and everyone else would make it through this.

A/N: I really think only my friends are reading this...but even they should review so I feel loved.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Disclaimer: Still own nothing...amazing how these things never change...**

Chapter Seven:

Severus regained consciousness and looked around him. It was dark and smelled like blood and fear. Cold, damp stone walls, that had water and blood from previous beatings or killings trickling down them in little streams, created a circular room. Him and the other students were all chained up by their wrists, their feet dangling a few antagonizing inches above the ground–a ground that if they could just reach would take their full weight off their shoulders and arms. It felt like his shoulders were going to detach from the rest of him any moment, and the pain was almost unbearable. He heard sniffled sobs coming from his left and noticed that Pansy Parkinson had tear stains running down her cheeks. He noticed that almost everyone else was also awake from their slumbered state.

Surveying the room more he saw a chair in the center and an unconscious Leah was tied to it with muggle bonds; he assumed by magical bonds as well. She had blood running down the left side of her face and a large gash in her left temple. Spider-like web patterns could be seen on her forearms from excessive exposure to the Cruciatus curse; he shuddered knowing it took a good ten before the shadow of webs began to show on skin. The picture of her in the chair brought up the memory of the vault and he instantly recognized that this was the same room with a few minor adjustments. Next to Leah was a small table with shackles and chains, and he could only imagine what the Death Eaters were going to use that for.

The sound of a door latch clicking brought his attention to the right side of the room and he noticed a good assembly of Death Eaters enter the room. He could regonize Lucius Malfoy, Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange, and the Nott clan. They lined up around the curved wall on the opposite of the room from the prisoners and Bellatrix stood in front of her daughter. She raised her hand and slapped her across the face; Leah's head rolled from the left to the right and settled there. Severus flinched as Bellatrix slapped her until Leah's eyes fluttered open and she straightened her head a little bit.

"I am glad to see you are awake," said Bellatrix, loathing and hatred evident in her voice. Leah did nothing, only stared at her mother, who turned away from the gaze. Silence settled over the room, echoing off the walls, winding its way around everyone in the room, squeezing and pushing the life force from every person present. It was unsettling just hanging there and watching Leah stare hard at her mother's back, not saying a word, her eyes and face devoid of emotion; all of it bottled up inside of her. "Are you not going to talk, child. Do you not understand what you've done wrong?"

This time Leah snapped her gaze down to her lap and held it there, not daring to show her fear or anger or any other emotion that the Death Eaters could use against her. She held her head down, but the tears that trickled down her face did not go unnoticed by anyone present. Each one plopped down and splattered on her torn jeans, the noise slicing through the deafening silence that surrounded them.

"Ah-h, I see we are breaking you my child. Perhaps some more torture will help," said Bellatrix, a smile twisting her features, "only this time, let them see." She motioned to the seven children on the wall and Severus. Severus turned to look at the seven students that were hanging in agony beside him. Pansy still had silent tears running down her cheeks; Hermione and Harry had their faces set forward watching the scene unfold with anger and hatred clouding their eyes; Dean and Neville shuddered every time Bellatrix spoke, and looked anxiously around at the Death Eaters; Blaise seemed to have passed out from the pain; and Draco looked as if he was about to overcome pain, break loose from his chains, and kill every single person in the room.

He turned his attention back to Leah when he heard a strangled cry come from her direction. The magical bonds on her were being lifted by Rodolphus, but the ropes remained in place. Realization hit Severus as the ropes on her feet and hands were pulled out taut and her limbs spread. Bellatrix pointed at three random Death Eaters who he couldn't identify who walked over, glee on their faces from what they were about to do. Bellatrix turned to Lucius and whispered something in his ear. He disappeared through the door for a moment and came back with none other than Jackson Mable, supposed best friend and flat mate of Leah's. Her eyes widened with understanding and tears flowed freely down her cheeks as he strolled over and crouched next to her.

"Hi, love. Bet you didn't expect this, did you? I am guessing not," he smiled with contempt down at the girl on the floor, and began slowly unbuttoning her shirt. "The Dark Lord was able to offer me much, much more than Mr. Grafton or you ever could. With the potion you invented he will be more unstoppable than before. You are a genius Leah, I never doubted that, however, your stupidity as to not to catch my real identity did amaze me." He slid the shirt off her shoulders and exposed more spider-web designs that cris-crossed across her stomach and chest. "However, there is one thing I have always wanted from you. Something I always thought you would be quite good for." Her eyes widened in shock and she attempted to scream, but the spell on her prevented it. His hands slid down to her waist line as he slowly undid her pants, and slid them off; her legs also covered with marks of the Cruciatus curse.

He turned to Bellatrix. "Take the Silencing Charm off of her; I want to hear her scream." Bellatrix did as she was told, but Leah had her mouth clenched shut against all odds. "For you, Leah, there is no pain relieving potion, no way to get yourself out of this ordeal, and I am honored to be your first." With that he took off his own clothes and stood over her naked and bent down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I always loved you Leah, I am sorry it had to be this way." With that he entered her, hard and fast, breaking past her barriers. Her screams filled the vault and caused everyone present to shudder, even the Death Eaters. Severus tried to scream out, wanted to make them stop, but the charms placed on him prevented him from doing anything useful, so he watched. He watched as his beloved Leah, a girl he had sworn to protect was hurt and tortured in the worst way. He watched as man after man violated her, laughing about the control they gained for a few moments from harming a mere girl.

When they were done, they left her there, in a pool of blood showing that she really was a virgin. Bellatrix looked down on her unconscious daughter and spat upon her pale and torn body. "You were worthless, Leah; you brought shame to our family. Leave them all here to rot." The Death Eaters filed out of the room, casting final glances at Leah's mangled body and the prisoners on the wall. Only when the door had shut and darkness consumed and twisted its way around everyone's body, into every corner and crack of the vault, did Severus give into the pain and allow himself to fall into a relaxed state of unconsciousness.

A/N: Amazing how I still want your reviews...just to let me know you read it.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Disclaimer: No need to sue...I still don't claim to own anyone except Leah. **

Chapter Eight:

It was hours later that Severus began to become aware of his surrounding, light threatening to push past his closed eyelids and make him wake up. Images of the past few hours flooded into his head and tears began to flow down his cheeks as the image of Leah's tattered body presented itself in his minds' eye. He shook the image out of his head, forcing himself to open his eyes, knowing the image wouldn't be out in the open. He blinked a few times to get his pupils to adjust to the bright lights around him and realized he was in St. Mungo's again. He sighed and tried to sit up to get a better look at his ward when pain seared through his arms and shoulders. He laid back down carefully, trying not to aggravate his muscle's any more than he had.

He sighed and turned his head to the right and saw that the ward was completely full. The seven students were in bed, all beginning to wake from their sleep and look around as well. A latch clicked and the door at the far end of the ward opened to reveal Professor Dumbledore who was wearing a grim expression, the usual twinkle in his eyes no longer present. He walked down the middle of the room slowly, pausing at each student's bed to check on them and see how they were fairing. When he reached Severus' bed his lips turned up at the corners to produce a small smile that held no happiness, only comfort.

Severus could hold in no longer and burst out, "Where is she? How is she? What happened, why are we here?" Dumbledore held up his hand to bring a halt to the questions and summoned a chair so he could sit next to Severus.

He took in a deep breath and looked at Severus with sad eyes. He braced himself for the worst, praying that she was at least alive. "She is down the hall in a private ward being treated for a number of curses, potion miss use, and rape and battery. She is in a coma for the time being, and the mediwitches say that it is mostly up to her to pull through this. She went through a lot Severus, who knows how much more she could have taken before she died."

He paused for a brief second before pushing on with the explanation. "It seems that young Miss Lestrange and Mrs. Malfoy had a plan that went terribly wrong, and you are here thanks to Mrs. Malfoy who sought the Auror's assistance in California to rescue you all."

Severus fought back tears as he listened to Dumbledore's accounts of what happened down in the vault before he had woken up, chained to the damp wall. He shivered as he imagined the pain she must have gone through. They had beat her physically, used pain enhancing potions, cut her with knives and such, as well as used the Unforgivable curse twelve consecutive times for approximately five minute intervals, with only a minutes rest before being hit again. His face visibly paled as he realized that Leah may not live through this account, but pushed all thoughts of her dying out of his mind. He wouldn't think like that, he couldn't think like that. If anything, he was going to remain strong for her sake, and get revenge on who ever had hurt her.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and Severus brought his attention back to the present. "You and the students will be back at Hogwarts for the coming semester so get your rest. You will need it."

Soon enough, spring was breaking through winter's blanket and every day brought more hope and more despair with it. It was the middle of March, almost three months after the events in the vault and Leah had made very little progress. Severus found himself thinking about Leah every moment; wondering how she was progressing, praying she would wake up, and thinking up a plan to get to Jackson Mable and kill him. Normally, he would have convinced the Dark Lord that he was a bad Death Eater and have him killed, but since he had blown his cover the summer before and was now under the security of Dumbledore that wasn't much of an option.

He pulled himself out of bed and wandered over to his adjoining bathroom, preparing to tackle another day. He wasn't prepared at all. He still ached, had to constantly take pain relieving potions, and didn't think he could make it through yet another school day without seeing Leah's smiling face peering up at him from her story-telling perch on his desk. It was true, he hated her sitting on his desk, disrupting the natural order of things, but now he would give anything to have her back there.

He turned on the shower, undressed, and stepped under the warm water, letting it slide down his body and ease away his pain. He let the tears fall freely, knowing the water would wash them away. He didn't know if he could still handle the stress of teaching five days a week, didn't know if he could measure up the teacher Leah had been. Images of her through the years wandered in and out of his mind as he took a second to reminisce about each one. One of her in a blue cotton dress in the middle of summer that accented her eyes, her hair up in high pigtails, running around and jumping out of trees, then getting scolded by her mother when she broke her arm. Her at the sorting ceremony, in average black robes, her wild, frizzy, curly hair down around her face, her blue eyes staring out at the crowd in the Great Hall as the hat yelled out Gryffindor. He had been proud of her then. Her in her Gryffindor robes sitting in the back of his sixth year potions class, blowing up cauldrons and purposefully adding wrong ingredients just to see what it would do; staring up at him with those sapphire eyes daring him to punish her. He never did. Her walking through his door only months before, bouncing up and down on her heels because she was nervous, staring down at her feet, asking if she could be his assistant.

He stepped out of the shower, dried off, and walked back into his bedroom to his dresser. He pulled out black slacks, a long sleeve black shirt and got dressed. He sat down on his bed to put on his shoes and socks, memories of Leah still running through his head. He saw her sitting on his bed, crying because she'd been unable to save a young girl of about seven at a raid on a muggle community. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying, her nose stuffy, and her dark black curls were pulled away from her face in a high and messy ponytail. He had held her tight that night as she sobbed hysterically, saying that she didn't know if she could handle the pressure of being who she was. At the time he hadn't known who or what she was, but he hadn't pressed the subject. She had looked up at him from under those long lashes, blue eyes boring into his soul, and he had known at that moment that he loved her. She appeared strong and brave, but underneath it all she was still a young woman trying to get by in life, and that night he had known that he would always be there to protect her from harm.

He snorted at this last revelation as he pulled on his robes. He had done a great job of that one, protecting Leah from harm. She was far away, in the hospital, attempting to heal from her injuries in the vault. He pushed down the sickening feeling that was threatening to rise in his throat as the images from that horrible day invaded his memory. He turned around, half expecting her to be there, standing in his doorway in the nonchalant manner she had perfected over the years. Her left arm above her head on the doorframe, right hand in the pocket of her favorite blue jeans-the ones with the hole in the left knee from where she had fell down the stairs rushing to class- a smile on her face, and her bright eyes sparkling with mischief. He waited for life to be like some sort of fairy tale, where the heroine wakes up from her deep slumber just in time to save him from himself; to reassure him that life went on and that all was going to be fine as she enveloped him in a warm embrace. But she wasn't here, she never was. His room was dark and empty. He stood up and walked across the room and opened the door, pushing down the thought that he may never see Leah in that room again.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Disclaimer:** Yep...still don't own it. None of it.

* * *

Chapter Nine:

"Alohomora." The door latch clicked open with the simple spell. Moonlight flooded across the white tile floors, casting dancing shadows along the opposite wall of the window. It was a simple room, nothing much to clutter it; exactly as it should be. There were two beds with the standard white linen sheets and pillow; simple and easy to clean. One bed was empty; the other contained the woman that was needed for this mission to work.

The man tip-toed across the floor not making a sound in fear of the nurse that sat behind the closed door at the other end of the ward. He slipped between the closed curtains and looked down into the face of the young woman. Her black velvet curls lay fanned out around her head on the pillow which meant that they had bathed her recently to wash the sweat off of her. Her eyes were shut, but in a more peaceful manner than the other times he had visited her; perhaps she was improving.

He pulled the chair up next to her bed and grabbed her small delicate hand in his own. A smile crossed his face as he looked down on her for the next hour. The routine was the same every night; apparate to St. Mungo's, sneak into the ward that held her captive, and hold her hand for an hour, just to let her know he was still there. He had read it in a muggle book, that if people in a coma were talked to and held then they had a better chance to pull through. He didn't know if it would work, but she had once said that muggles didn't get the credit they deserved.

Laying his head down next to her forearm he sighed and rubbed his thumb across her palm. It was cold and sweaty. "Hello. It has been another hectic day without you by my side. I don't know how I do it. Mr. Longbottom blew up another cauldron today while we reviewed for the N.E.W.T. test at the end of the year, and to think it was a simple Drought of Living Death." He moves his head to look up at her, see if she has responded in any way. She hasn't, and he knows she won't, but every night, he looks up just to check; just to be safe for he knows that if he doesn't look up he might miss something. That is the way the world works.

He puts his head back down and his eyes close, pulling forward his memory for the night. This is the next step of their nightly routine: telling her a memory, a memory he holds close to his heart. "Do you remember when you were twelve and almost got expelled from Hogwarts? That was a good time, and you were lucky I am a convincing man and Dumbledore allowed you to stay. That was a funny day. You came to lunch in the Great Hall dressed in that crazy summer outfit, that short denim skirt and bright red tank-top, despite the fact that it was the middle of January. Then you proceeded to open a blanket, fill up two plates with everything, grab Mark's hand with you and eat in the middle of the floor of the Hall. Everyone watched you. Some hated you for dating the enemy, some wanted to be you for dating the enemy, and some were just too amazed with your stunt to think of anything. It ended up starting a huge fight, over honor, pride, justice. But you did it anyway, knowing what trouble it would cause; you stood up for what you believed in. You reached past inter-house conflicts and dated the enemy, without a care in the world what it did to you or what others might have thought. I doubt you even liked Mark much, he was more just a way to prove your point, but that point was proven."

It was funny, with his head next to the woman he loved, how he could remember every scene with her in it. He doesn't remember much about your earlier teaching days, except that smiling face that graced his House, his classroom, and his heart. He snaps his head up, tears rolling down his cheeks, knowing he is being to sappy; knowing that this won't get her through this, but it might get him through it. Here she was, breathing, alive, right in front of him, yet he felt as if she were dead. He felt as if he would never walk into his classroom again to have that bright smile and those twinkling eyes smiling up at him from the forbidden area behind his desk. His heart-wrenched sob rang through-out the hospital ward and he sat still for a moment to make sure he hadn't awoken the nurse on duty. It was time to go, he knew this. Leaning down and placing a kiss on her cheek, he whispers into her ear. "I love you, Leah Lestrange, never forget that." He places the chair back in its proper place, slips back through the curtains, and leaves the hospital wing without a glance back.

* * *

Severus paced back and forth in anticipation to how the meeting was going up in Dumbledore's office. Since he wasn't an official member of the _Sacred Six_ or the Guardian Dumbledore didn't think his presence was required. Severus knew that Dumbledore was explaining the plan that they had come up with to the six students, attempting to convince them that they were needed in order to rescue Leah from her strange coma. It seemed that he was not the only night time visitor to her closed ward, and that another man was sneaking in to give her a potion that kept her in the coma. The only problem, the potion was untraceable, and they couldn't figure out the cure. However, the man was a moron and it was easy to figure out who he was. Jackson Mable.

He growled in anger as he thought about the major pain in the ass, Jackson Mable. He swore on his own fucking grave that he would hunt him down and kill him. Force him to suffer worse than Leah suffered. Kill him painfully and slowly. His only consolation was that she was being kept in this coma, being kept in it to prevent her from coming back with twice as much strength, fueled by revenge, and ruining the Dark Lord's plans. The nurses had said that without this potion controlling her, meaning if they found the anecdote, she would be up and about in a few days, good as new. It was his job to find that potion and get it to Leah, before it was too late and the Dark Lord completed his mission. Too bad they didn't know what the mission was so they could just stop it, and get the potion from Mable then, but no, that was too simple. Instead, they had to come up with some plan to track down the jack ass, get the anecdote, and then rush it back to Leah. Little did they know, Severus would be staying back to finish the little twirp off.

Jackson Mable reminded him of someone, but he couldn't really remember who. He stopped his pacing as the marble staircase opened and he heard Draco calling down for him to come up. He slowly climbed the spiral staircase, his worry and fear climbing with it. If this didn't work then they were fucked, royally. The Dark Lord would get his mission completed, putting him a step ahead in the war, meaning Harry might have to face him without Leah's needed help. After that, who knows what would happen, and according to Dumbledore if the Dark Lord completed this mission, they would have no more use for keeping Leah alive, and kill her. Severus didn't quite understand why they needed her alive now, but as long as she was alive, he was content.

He sat in the only empty chair next to Neville and stared apprehensively across the cluttered desk at Dumbledore, waiting for him to speak. Severus shifted in his chair a few times, directing glances at the different students in the room, wondering why the hell they were sitting here in silence. In the last few months he had grown to hate silence, and would do anything to make it stop. Sensing his nervousness Dumbledore spoke.

"Well, it seems you all understand why you are here." Everyone in the room nodded. "Alright, then I suppose I can explain exactly what we are going to do. For the next month, all of you will report at seven p.m. sharp to the Room of Requirement to be trained in the areas that you were chosen for. It is your job to get Severus through the tasks set before you, so he may retrieve the anecdote to revive Leah."

He turned his head towards the Gryffindor section of the room. "Hermione Granger, you will be taught in ways of logic, solving puzzles and such, and Professor Vector will be your tutor. Neville Longbottom, you will taught how to judge events by the stars, allowing us to gage when we should make this happen; your tutor will be Professor Sinistra. Dean Thomas, your area of expertise will be in Healing, and Madame Pomfrey will be your tutor."

The old man paused for breath, turning his attention now to the Slytherins. "Draco Malfoy, you will be working with Professor Snape and making many potions that may come in handy on this expedition. Pansy Parkinson, you will paired up with Professor McGonnagal and will be working on any transfiguration spells that might be needed. And last, but not least, Blaise Zabini, you will work with Professor Flitwick and enhance your charms abilities."

He looked at all of them as they nodded, jotting down the time and place, and who they'd be working with. "Oh, and one last thing, on Wednesday nights Professor Lupin, Professor Snape, and Mister Potter will be helping you hone your Defense against the Dark Arts skills. You will be needing it."

With that he shooed them from his office, the Gryffindors battling the Slytherins for who could make it out the door first, pushing and shoving to become the winner. Severus shook his head as he padded down the staircase after them and into the corridor. He wondered whether or not they would be able to pull together and work as a team.

He thought about all that was said back in Dumbledore's office; how he would help Mr. Malfoy and his potion's making; how him, Lupin, and Mr. Potter would help everyone and their Defense skills. Then it hit him. Jackson Mable reminded him of Peter Pettigrew. A small, strange man who betrayed his best friends for fame and power, even though it would never come to him. On the walk back down to the dungeons Severus was overcome with hatred towards both men. One who had tormented his school years only to turn on his best friends- Severus had never been fond of the four friends, but when he discovered that James and Lily Potter's deaths were because of the betrayal of their best friend, his regards for them sky rocketed- and one who had betrayed his best friend for the same reasons, but instead of causing her death, instead kept her in a coma, rotting away while life happened around her.

A/N: I am finally learning how to use this program! Ah-ha-ha! Oh, and read/review, please.


	10. Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

Okay, so here is the deal, everyone. I have forty-four days until summer break is upon me, and that means the next two and a half wonderful months will be spent learning new material and cramming in old material for my end of term exams, which leads to my point. I doubt I will be able to update until summer, but by that time I should have a few good solid chapters down. I hope this isn't any major inconvenience to anyone _cough Joelyn who used me for Ms. Perry's class cough_. I am super sorry if any of this sucks. So for my stories, here is what will People:

Tutela: The Guardian: I promise Sarah and Anna that I will get past chapter nine, and that Snape won't just die without Leah. Though, if you didn't know that he was in love with her, you never will.

Simple Entertainment: Can you wait to find out what the heck Genevieve is? It is a really bad chapter that I will probably re-submit after I find a plot line to go with her and Blaise.

Haunted by Grace: Yes, Sarah, I changed her name to Grace to fit the title, but I still think Lily works better. I will attempt to finish chapter six and actually get moving with what Grace's purpose is in the whole Order thing. And if you can guess who the portrait is of, e-mail me. People :

Just Outside Middlesex: I promise Joelyn I will get through all of it. By the end of Junior year it might be easier to document everything that has happened in a logical way. At chapter four, I am only about four weeks in, and hopefully the chapters will get longer so that things make more sense, and I can skip boring scenes of our lives. And if you read..review. I like feeling special.

Seeking Revenge: I promise you guys, I will write a bunch of chapters by June and will get them up as soon as possible! You guys are my most reliable reviewers and I love you so much for it. Yes, I will explain what happened with Gen's dad, and why Ethan is so bloody arrogant all the time. Here is a hint for future chapters: when he finds out about Gen's dad, there is going to be a huge rift. Figure it out? E-mail me. If you can't get it off my account here, go to myname is still Lucivar no matter where I am.

For my family: **Uncle** **Jim**, you are the best for actually reading this and having faith in my writing abilities. For my **grandfather**, you are just too funny for words, and you will have a quiz when all of this is over.

For my friends: **Joelyn** I cannot believe you told Ms. Perry you were going to read this stuff over break. That is effing hilarious! For **Sarah**, I love you with all my heart, and thanks for being a Harry Potter freak right there with me! Without you, I would have nothing. For **Lauren**, who doesn't even know this exists, but I figure someone will tell her anyways: You're Back! You are never to go away without me again. I was lost without you to tag along with. I had to buy a prom dress with just Sarah's help. What is with that? For **Talia**, who always makes fun of me, you just make this whole thing better. I enjoy smiting people, especially you, Pollymok. For **Anna**, you are crazy, and had you not kidnaped me and taken me to Disneyland I might actually be making progress with my stories instead of writing authors notes giving shout-outs. For **Danielle**, you make Chemistry fun, and now that you are all the way across the room, I vote you move and sit with Lauren, Erin, and I. Ask Ms. J, she doesn't care if you move. I did all the bloody time last quarter. **To all the musketeers**: We are the hottest girl I have ever seen...combined! Guys will drool!

To **Alex**, you are a Master, and our future kingdom will kick some major ass. I love you, even though you torment me by hanging my "perfect match" over my head.

P.S. Joelyn, one more thing, we are definitely going with the Ocho to prom. Sarah says they only have seven boys now that they lost Chad, and there are seven musketeers...maybe Lauren can have her dream come true and go with Eddie? Either that, or my perfect match, better lose his girlfriend in four days.

To my reviewers:

**Anna**: You are good at this, you know that?

**JennaMp**: You are my Harry Potter, girl! I love you with all my heart, and while July may not understand, he will someday. Too bad he got suspended from the internet.

**Mirthil-Moony:** If I managed to spell your name right, give me a round of applause. If not, sucks to be you. You were my first reviewer ever, and while you criticized my comma techniques, I cherish you all the same.

**Alana-Lou**: You actually like my story! My friend said that I messed up Grace too much, but I like her. She is a combination of my friends and I; sarcastic, blunt, and doesn't have much regard for the rules. If you have any suggestions for where I should take her character, don't hesitate to tell me. I am open for suggestions of improvement. You may like Tutela: The Guardian, if you like this one. It is the same, but different, and much better because it is more developed.

**Luckydreams**: You have a lot to say, don't you?

**Rock 'n' Roll Junkie**: I don't know why it doesn't have more reviews either! Hehe. I am glad you like it. Sorry for the long wait between chapters. I have chapters eight, nine, and ten done, I just have to make the fillers connecting my two plot points.

**FrozenWaterFaerie**: No, I am going to keep her father a complete mystery forever and ever, and make you wonder for all eternity why Genevieve bursts into tears when Ethan mentions her father. note sarcasm Please, don't give up on me, despite the long time wait.

Again, I love everyone who helps me and inspires me, which is usually the Musketeers, or the people we make fun of everyday from the Junior Class Balcony. I think we shall keep that area next year, and dub it the Senior Class Balcony; it can become a legend like The Hill.

My reviewers, an author is nothing without criticism. Love you all, and thanks for your help. And never fool yourself for one second thinking that I am actually a nice and kind person. I just needed to send out some thanks to you all.

Lucivar


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